Ex-USS McCOOK (Type A BURNHAM-Class) built by
Bethlehem Steel at Quincy. The ship was laid
down on 11th September 1918 and launched on
31st January 1919. Commissioned on 30th
April 1919 for US Naval Service this ship
was deployed in the Atlantic until 1922 when
she was laid up
in Reserve at Philadelphia. In December 1939
she was brought forward for US Navy use
and deployed in the Atlantic until
transferred to the Royal Navy under the
UK/US Lend/Lease Agreement on 3rd September
1940. Commissioned on 24th September that
year this destroyer
was selected for use by the Royal Canadian
Navy and renamed HMCS ST CROIX at Halifax.
The name like those of the other destroyers
provided under this
Agreement was common to places in Britain or
Canada and in the US.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
None are
recorded in the
Admiralty records but RCN Honours will be
available in RCN records
H e r a
l d i c D a t a
Similarly
this will be held in
RCN records
D e t a
i l s o f W a
r
S e r v i c e
(for more ship
information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search)
1
9 4 0
September
24th
- Transferred to Royal Canadian Navy with five
other ships of this
Class and named HMCS McCOOK.
October
Deployed
as Local Escort at Halifax after short refit.
3rd
- Renamed HMCS ST CROIX.
November
Local
Escort deployment in continuation.
Nominated for long refit in UK.
30th
- Took passage from Halifax for refit at
Devonport.
December
Sustained
major weather damage during passage to St
Johns, Newfoundland, (Note: Search operation
was
initiated prior to arrival.)
18th
- Returned to Halifax and taken in hand for
repair.
1
9 4 1
January
to February
Under
repair at Halifax.
March
Harbour
trials and post refit trials on completion of
dockyard work. On completion deployed at
Halifax for Local escort.
April
to July
Local
escort duties in continuation. Nominated for
service with Newfoundland Escort Force
(NEF) on formation.
Passage
to
Newfoundland for Atlantic convoy defence.
Deployed for escort of convoys between St
Johns and
Iceland.
September
Taken
in hand for refit at St Johns.
October
to December
Under
refit
1
9 4 2
January
to March
Under
refit
April
Resumed
NEF duties on completion of post refit trials.
May
Transferred
to Mid Ocean Escort
Force (MOEF) based at St Johns. Deployed as
escort for eastbound convoy SC84 during
passage from Cape
Breton (Note: This
convoys sailed from New York on 14th May.)
June
MOEF
deployment in continuation.
July
23rd
- Deployed with HM Destroyer BURNHAM and four
corvettes as Ocean
Escort for westbound
Convoy ON113.
24th
- U90 and U552 sighted on surface after
detection of U-Boat radio
transmissions. (Note: Both
destroyers had detached to carry out search
ahead of convoy.). Sank U90 after carrying out
depth charge attacks. (Note: U552 evaded
attacks and later sank two mercantiles in
ON113. For details
see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and HITLER'S
U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
August
MOEF
deployment in continuation.
September
Deployed
with Canadian Escort Group C4 which included
HM Canadian
Destroyer OTTAWA, HM Canadian
Corvette SHERBROOKE, two other Canadian
corvettes and one British corvette as escort
for westbound Convoy
ON127.
9th
- ON 127 sighted west of Ireland by U584 of
VORWARTS U- Boat Group.
10th
- Carried out anti-submarine operations
against U-Boats of VORWARTS
Group during which two
mercantiles were sunk and three damaged.
11th to 12th - Defence operations in continuation. Four more
mercantiles sunk
13th
- Air cover provided and U-Boats driven off.
14th
- Attacks renewed by two submarines which had
no success against
mercantiles. HMCS OTTAWA
sunk by U91.
Escort
reinforced
by HMCS ANNAPOLIS and HMS Destroyer WITCH.
(Note: Fog conditions thwarted further
attacks. ON127 Arrived in New York on
20th.)
October
Deployed
with C1 for Atlantic convoy escort.
November
to December
Taken
in hand for refit.
1
9 4 3
January
Resumed
MOEF duties on completion of post refit
trials. Nominated for work-up in UK at
Tobermory and joined HM Destroyers VANSITTART,
CHESTERFIELD and five RCN corvettes of Group
in escort
for eastbound Convoy HX222. (This convoy had
sailed from New York on 6th..Note: RCN escorts
were judged to need further intensive training
to
improve anti-submarine
procedures.)
21st
- Detached from HX222 and took passage to
Tobermory. (Note: HX222 arrived at
Liverpool on 22nd.)
22nd
- Began work-up.
February
Nominated
for retention in UK waters to assist in
defence of military
convoys to Gibraltar as part of
planned allied shore operations in
Mediterranean area.
17th
- On completion of work-up joined Western
Approaches Command for
detached service. Deployed as
Canadian Escort Group No 1, (EG C1)
26th
- Deployed with HM Canadian Corvette SHEDIAC
as part of escort for
military Convoy KMS10G during
Atlantic passage.
March
4th
- Sank U87 in position 41.36N 13.31W with HMCS
SHEDIAC by depth
charges when submarine
attempted attack on KMS10G. (For details see
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and above
reference.)
7th
- Detached from KMS10G on arrival at
Gibraltar.
11th
- Deployed with EGC1 as part of escort for
return military Convoy
MKS9 during passage in Atlantic
from Gibraltar to Liverpool.
18th
- Detached from MKS9 and took return passage
to St Johns to resume
service in MOEF.
April
MOEF
duties in continuation. Joined Canadian Escort
Group C1. (Note: Other ships in Group were
HM Canadian Destroyer RESTIGOUCHE, HM Frigate
HM Frigate ITCHEN and three corvettes.)
May
Deployed
for escort of Atlantic convoys with Group
supported by US
Support Group 6 which included US aircraft
carrier BOGUE and destroyer screen.
June
Under
repair at Halifax
July
Nominated
for further detached service in UK to assist
in planned
anti-submarine operations in Bay of Biscay
against U-Boats using French and Spanish
coastal waters
during passage to and from
Atlantic for shipping attacks (Operations
MUSKETRY and SEASLUG.)
Transferred
to newly formed
Canadian Support Group 9 (C9).
August
Passage
to UK with Group to take part in Bay of Biscay
operations based
at Plymouth. Diverted on
passage with Group for support of Atlantic
convoys under threat of attack by U-Boat
Groups. (Note: Active participation in
Bay of Biscay operations to be confirmed.)
September
Deployed
with Group in support of passage of Atlantic
convoys. (Note: Other ships in C9 Group
were HM Frigate ITCHEN, HM Canadian Destroyer
ST FRANCIS, HM Canadian Corvettes CHAMBLY,
SACKVILLE and MORDEN.)
19th
- Took part in anti-submarine operations in
support of defence of
westbound Convoys ONS18 and ON202 which had
merged and were under threat of attack by
LEUTHEN
U-Boat Group.
20th
- During operations against 12 submarine of
LEUTHEN Group, hit by
acoustic torpedo fired from U305 which
disabled ship. Stricken ship hit by second
torpedo from U305
about an hour later and sank. 81 survivors
from a total
complement of 147 were rescued by HM Frigate
ITCHEN. (For full details of this tragic
defence of the merged
convoys see above references. Note: Only one
of those rescued survived when HMS ITCHEN was
sunk on
21st. HM Frigate
LAGAN and HM Corvette POLYANTHUS were also
sunk during the sustained submarine attacks,
together with six mercantiles.)
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMCS
ST CROIX
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
Convoy Sailed
|
Joined
Convoy as Escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
Convoy Arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
12/10/40
|
12/10/40
|
HX
080
|
13/10/40
|
27/10/40
|
20/10/40
|
20/10/40
|
HX
082
|
21/10/40
|
06/11/40
|
17/03/41
|
17/03/41
|
HX
115
|
18/03/41
|
03/04/41
|
27/03/41
|
27/03/41
|
HX
117
|
29/03/41
|
15/04/41
|
30/03/41
|
30/03/41
|
SC
027
|
31/03/41
|
18/04/41
|
10/04/41
|
10/04/41
|
TC
010
|
11/04/41
|
19/04/41
|
16/05/41
|
16/05/41
|
HX
127
|
unknown
|
02/06/41
|
27/05/41
|
27/05/41
|
HX
129
|
28/05/41
|
12/06/41
|
01/06/41
|
01/06/41
|
SC
033
|
03/06/41
|
21/06/41
|
16/06/41
|
17/06/41
|
HX
133
|
20/06/41
|
03/07/41
|
26/06/41
|
26/06/41
|
HX
135
|
29/06/41
|
12/07/41
|
11/07/41
|
11/07/41
|
HX
138
|
15/07/41
|
27/07/41
|
24/08/41
|
26/08/41
|
SC
041
|
05/09/41
|
11/09/41
|
30/08/41
|
12/09/41
|
SC
042
|
17/09/41
|
20/09/41
|
17/09/41
|
19/09/41
|
ON
017
|
21/09/41
|
29/09/41
|
28/09/41
|
28/09/41
|
ON
019A
|
04/10/41
|
04/10/41
|
17/10/41
|
19/10/41
|
SC
050
|
26/10/41
|
04/11/41
|
01/11/41
|
06/11/41
|
ON
032
|
14/11/41
|
16/11/41
|
10/05/42
|
14/05/42
|
HX
189
|
14/05/42
|
20/05/42
|
14/05/42
|
17/05/42
|
SC
084
|
21/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
26/06/42
|
28/06/42
|
SC
089
|
10/07/42
|
11/07/42
|
17/07/42
|
18/07/42
|
ON
113
|
26/07/42
|
31/07/42
|
11/08/42
|
15/08/42
|
SC
096
|
26/08/42
|
27/08/42
|
04/09/42
|
05/09/42
|
ON
127
|
14/09/42
|
20/09/42
|
19/09/42
|
23/09/42
|
SC
101
|
03/10/42
|
05/10/42
|
11/10/42
|
12/10/42
|
ON
137
|
19/10/42
|
29/10/42
|
06/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
HX
222
|
22/01/43
|
22/01/43
|
26/02/43
|
28/02/43
|
KMS
010G
|
08/03/43
|
11/03/43
|
04/03/43
|
08/03/43
|
MKS
009
|
18/03/43
|
18/03/43
|
28/03/43
|
05/04/43
|
ONS
002
|
14/04/43
|
19/04/43
|
16/04/43
|
20/04/43
|
SC
127
|
02/05/43
|
03/05/43
|
15/05/43
|
16/05/43
|
ON
184
|
25/05/43
|
31/05/43
|
30/07/43
|
05/08/43
|
HX
250
|
11/08/43
|
12/08/43
|
09/09/43
|
19/09/43
|
HX
256
|
19/09/43
|
21/09/43
|
12/09/43
|
19/09/43
|
ONS
018
|
20/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
15/09/43
|
19/09/43
|
ON
202
|
20/09/43
|
01/10/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|